If you open a bottle of Olbas Oil, the first thing you’ll notice is how strong it smells. Your sinuses are going to feel clear and you might even get a little burst of energy from the bright herbal scent.
Known as a fantastic nasal decongestant, Olbas oil is a wonderful inhalant for the colder months.
This is the perfect oil blend to diffuse when the whole family has a stuffy nose- and lucky for you, it is perfectly safe to add to your diffuser!
But what is Olbas oil? And what should you know about it before adding it to your essential oil diffuser?
Keep reading to find out!
Contents
What is in Olbas Oil?
Olbas oil is an essential oil blend containing cajeput, clove, eucalyptus, juniper berry, levomenthol, peppermint, and wintergreen. Individually and blended together, all of these oils are safe to use in a diffuser.
The unique qualities of these plant oils contribute to Olbas oil’s efficient sinus relief, so let’s have a look at each ingredient…
1. Cajeput Oil
This oil is a great anti-inflammatory with antiseptic and pain relief qualities. Cajeput is great for treating the common cold, reducing anxiety, treating a cough, and soothing tooth, muscle, and joint pain.
2. Clove Oil
This antimicrobacterial essential oil can also relieve respiratory issues like asthma and a cough. In addition, it is also great at soothing a toothache, a sore muscle, or even an upset stomach!
3. Eucalyptus Oil
Arguably the most popular of the Olbas Oil ingredient list, eucalyptus oil offers a wide range of benefits from fighting plaque and other dental bacteria build-up, managing stress, clearing sinuses, and relieving joint pain. This oil can even help fight head lice or get rid of pesky rodents!
4. Juniper Berry Oil
When it comes to using the oil produced by juniper berries, their antibacterial and antifungal qualities are the most impressive. From Candida to ringworm, juniper berry oil studies have shown amazing potential in combating a large variety of fungi and bacteria.
5. Levomenthol
Essentially a different form of menthol, this oil can help improve breathing– although it is not a nasal decongestant as most people would assume. It can also provide some pain relief if applied topically.
6. Peppermint Oil
This oil is great for when you have a runny nose because it can reduce mucus in the nasal canals. Peppermint is also great for killing germs, relieving nausea and vomiting, and soothing itchy skin.
7. Wintergreen Oil
Particularly useful for pain relief, wintergreen is great at combating headaches, arthritis pain, and menstrual cramps. It is also an anti-inflammatory and can help improve asthma and other lung conditions.
Benefits of Olbas Oil
Olbas oil is a great aromatherapy product with multiple uses. Let’s have a look at what Olbas oil can offer you with and without a diffuser.
1. Clears Sinuses
When inhaled, the essential oils in it work together to stimulate and clear your airways.
Looking at the ingredients of Olbas oil, it’s easy to identify a pattern of essential oils that soothe and clear irritated sinuses. Because Olbas oil is marketed and sold as an aromatherapy and inhalation product, in many ways, it is intended to be used with a diffuser.
In a diffuser, the essential oil blend cleanses a space and rejuvenates any sickly family members. Even someone with an incredibly stuffy nose will be able to pick up the detoxifying scent of an Olbas oil mist.
2. Headache Relief
If you have a headache, Olbas oil might still be able to help. If possible, we recommend popping a few drops of the oil into your diffuser then resting your eyes for about 20 minutes to let all of the essential goodness do its job on your headache or migraine.
You can thank the wintergreen for Olbas oil’s headache helping properties!
While the Olbas company recommends applying the oil directly to your forehead, we never promote using essential oils topically without a carrier oil. In fact, we like the idea of using a diffuser better because it offers a more gentle pain remedy without having to pull out your jojoba or coconut oil.
However, if you like the idea of applying the oil topically, please remember to always use a carrier oil to avoid any skin irritation.
3. Stress and Anxiety Relief
While many people reach for their lavender or sage oil when feeling stressed, Olibas oil is another great essential oil to have on hand. Because of how cleaning the blend is, the physical sensation of your respiratory system being flushed out might contribute to a quicker and more enjoyable road to relaxation.
The eucalyptus and cajeput oil do a wonderful job of soothing nerves and promoting a healthy mental state. While you should never try to use essential oils to heal mental health issues, these natural plant oils can be used as a gentle method of winding down after an intense situation or a long day.
4. Muscle Relief
Olbas oil has been recommended to be used both before and after sports and exercise. Using the oil before exercise will help loosen joints and muscles, and using it after will prevent and soothe sore muscles.
While Olbas says that you can apply the oil topically for pre and post-sports relief, using the oil in a diffuser will allow the odorized mist to gently coat your body. The effects of applying the oil topically will provide more obvious relief while using the diffuser is a safe and more mild solution to treating your muscles.
The cajeput, clove, and eucalyptus oils are credited for these properties.
5. Getting Rid of Bugs
We love the smell of Olbas oil, but for whatever reason, mosquitoes and bed bugs don’t seem to be fans.
There’s nothing worse than enjoying a day or night on your back porch and coming inside completely covered in bloody bites. Our solution; bring your diffuser outside with you on a buggy day (or evening) to help keep tiny unwanted flying friends away.
For bed bugs, put your diffuser in your room and let the mist flow next to your mattress. Among other oils, bed bugs hate eucalyptus oil, clove oil, and peppermint oil, so Olbas is an awesome three-in-one for this problem.
Risks / Side Effects
Olbas oil is an essential oil, therefore it comes with similar risks, and should be used with the same level of caution you would exercise with any other essential oil.
One of the largest things to look out for is using Olbas oil directly on the skin since the largest possible side effect is skin irritation. This can be avoided by using the oil with a diffuser or significantly diluting it with a carrier oil before applying it topically.
Like other essential oils, Olbas oil is very dangerous if ingested or if it comes in contact with the eyes or inside of the nose.
Because of Olbas’ marketing, their product is seen as a natural oil rather than a medicine, however, users should be responsible for how they use Olbas oil.
Alternative Products
If you can’t find Olbas oil, try these pure essential oil alternatives to help clear sinuses. Obviously, all of our alternatives can also be used in your diffuser!
1. Eucalyptus Oil
This 365 by Whole Foods Market Eucalyptus Essential Oil is affordable, has great reviews, and incredibly cleansing.
Eucalyptus oil is a must-have when building an essential oil collection. Along with all the benefits mentioned previously, it’s also great for cleaning or even adding to your bath.
You’ll definitely be getting your money’s worth with how many ways you’ll be able to use this oil!
2. Tea Tree Oil
The ArtNaturals Tea Tree Essential Oil comes in a large bottle that will last you several months (or even up to a year)!
This is another versatile essential oil that can be used topically or in a diffuser. While tea tree oil does cleanse your nasal paths, it is also great for acne and nail fungus!
3. Olbas Inhaler
If you aren’t into oils but still want to enjoy Olbas, try their Olbas Inhalers!
Great for on-the-go, these inhalers allow you to sniff the essential oil without having to worry about spilling anything or sourcing a diffuser.
Conclusion
If you haven’t tried putting Olbas oil in your diffuser, you are missing out!
Now that spring has sprung, you might find your nose is a little runny thanks to all the pollen in the air. Let your Olbas oil take care of that for you and get out, then enjoy the sun!
There’s nothing quite like the fresh herbal hit of Olbas oil. Its careful blend of essential oils caters to a wide variety of needs and we’re sure there’s at least one way you can benefit from this popular oil blend.
If you try any of our suggested alternatives, we would love to hear how they worked out for you.
Have fun and happy oiling!
I currently work as a medical receptionist, but my ultimate goal is to work as an occupational therapy assistant. Helping others achieve a better quality of life is something I’m after. That’s one of the main reasons I started this blog. Learn more about me.